ATI AIW Radeon 9000 Pro - Should I keep it?

[0hz]

I picked up the AIWR9K last week with the intent to capture boxing and other fighting sports for transfer to DVD/CVD each week. I didn't have much time to go over the various tweaks suggested here but I was pleased with the results.

6 frames dropped over the course of 3 hours capturing 352x480 with the DVD Medium profile + VideoSoap set to "Sports - High Motion". I tried using the DVD and DVD High profiles but frame drops were excessive, on the order of 5%.

My configuration is as follows:

Cap: AIW Radeon 9000 Pro
Snd: Soundblaster Live!
CPU: Athlon 1.2Ghz
Mobo: Asus A7V-133
RAM: 320MB PC133
HDD: 80GB 7200 Maxtor
OS: Win2k Pro SP4
Other: MMC 8.5, Catalyst 3.6, DirectX 9.0b, Latest Liveware!

I'm wondering...

1.) Is the poor performance with the higher resolution capture (720x480 8Mbit) due to the limitations of my system or lack configuration on my part?

2.) Can I expect to find a card with driver support comparable to ATI's that would allow me to capture at 720x480 or greater without dropping frames for under $200?

3.) I've read that the AIW has some hardware encoding capability but it is only active when capturing with the MMC. Is this true?

4.) Would you consider the AIWR9K package (card, software, remote) the best bang for the buck?

Thanks in advance.[/list]

[peregrin]

the Card is ok , i'd suggestion getting a second harddrive to capture to, a faster processor, and bring your ram up to 512MB. Also have you closed down all the other programs running in the background , including the virus checker and firewall if you have them.

[0hz]

the Card is ok , i'd suggestion getting a second harddrive to capture to, a faster processor, and bring your ram up to 512MB. Also have you closed down all the other programs running in the background , including the virus checker and firewall if you have them.

Is a faster processor more value for the dollar than a better card for the purpose of capturing?

By "ok" do you mean that there are "better" options for the same price? I can still return the card.

I have nothing running in the background. The machine is a clean install save for ATI drivers/MMC, Creative drivers/mixer and an install of Daemon tools.